Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” emphasizing living with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
Scriptures for today:
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time
Setting the Stage. (From 1 Samuel 19:8-17)
In our last message, we saw how Saul’s son Jonathan intervened to save David’s life. The prince convinced his father to leave David alone (at least for the moment), and the king said, “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed.” I did not bring this up before, but I want to note that with this statement, Saul was acknowledging the Lord’s providence and power and the fact that God’s hand was on David. But the acknowledgment was short-lived. Soon after David returned to the palace war broke out again. David led his troops against the Philistines, and he attacked them with fury, so they all ran away. After the battle Saul was sitting at home, enjoying David’s harp playing, with a spear in his hand. All of a sudden, the king hurled the spear at David. David dodged the spear, leaving it stuck in the wall. This was the second time this happened. This time, David did not stick around. He fled into the night.
Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were instructed to kill David when he came out the next morning. But David’s wife, Princess Michal, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.” So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped. The king’s son had already helped David. Now, the king’s daughter was doing the same thing.
The princess then took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head. When the troops came to arrest David, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. The troops went back and reported to Saul that David was sick. Saul did not care. The king sent the troops back, saying, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!” Sure enough, the troops went back to David’s house, prepared to carry the entire bed if necessary. It was then that they realized David was gone and the only thing left in his bed was the idol and cushion of goat’s hair. Saul was furious with his daughter, asking, “Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” But Michal, fearing for her life, lied and said, “I had to, he threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.” And with that, David was on the run again.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Promise Gap: Embracing the Season of Waiting.
Between God’s promise and its fulfillment lies a critical period of waiting and preparation. This gap is not just an empty time, void of purpose. No, this season (the space between the promise and the performance) is crucial for growth and development in your faith journey. God uses these seasons to mature us and prepare us for the ultimate manifestation of the promise.
How this applies to you:
— While you are waiting on God to manifest what He promised, view the waiting period as an essential part of your spiritual growth.
— Use this time to deepen your relationship with God and strengthen your faith.
— Since patience is not something God gives you as a gift but rather something you develop over time, use this season to develop patience and perseverance as you wait on God’s timing.
— Seek God’s purpose for you in this season of preparation. You may be focused on God’s purpose for the promise, but also seek His purpose for the period of preparation that you must endure while you wait on it.
— Stay focused on God’s faithfulness, even when the promise seems distant.
2. Weathering Storms: Overcoming Opposition While Waiting.
The waiting period often brings challenges and opposition. Like David, you may face threats to your faith and your future. These trials are opportunities to demonstrate your trust in God’s promise. David had to hold on to the fact that He was already anointed to be the King of Israel, even while he was being attacked by the man who held the position at the time.
How this applies to you:
— Don’t be surprised when challenges come during your waiting season.
— It may get worse before it gets better, but don’t let the conditions contaminate your faith or expectation. On the other hand, see opposition as a confirmation of the validity of God’s promise for you.
— Develop strategies to maintain your faith amidst trials. Keep reminding yourself of God’s promise, and never lose hope.
— Learn to discern between obstacles and opportunities for growth.
— Use each challenge as a chance to reaffirm your trust in God’s plan. Keep the promise before your eyes and never give up on it.
3. Grace for the Journey: God’s Sustaining Power in the Gap.
God’s grace is abundantly available to you during the waiting period. This grace is not just for survival, but for thriving and growing stronger in faith.
How this applies to you:
— The reason I keep pointing you to God’s grace is because I have learned that God’s grace is the only way we will endure long enough to see what He said. Ultimately, our human effort or human determination is not enough. We need the grace of God.
— I don’t believe David and Joseph could have endured what they endured on the path to their promise from God if it were not for God’s grace on their lives.
— Actively rely on God’s grace daily, especially when waiting feels difficult.
— Recognize that God’s grace is sufficient for every challenge you face.
— Use this time to discover new dimensions of God’s grace in your life.
— Allow God’s grace to transform you during the waiting period.
— Share testimonies of God’s grace to encourage others who are waiting. The more you discuss it, the more cognizant you will be of the grace of God.
4. Divine Support: Relationships in the Waiting Season.
God often provides support through relationships during your waiting period. Like Jonathan and Michal for David, God may bring people into your life to encourage, protect, and help you persevere.
How this applies to you:
— Be open to God’s help coming through unexpected sources. God used Saul’s kids to help David, even when it meant going against their own father. God will use people to help you in unexpected ways!
— Cultivate godly relationships that can support you while you wait. You need to surround yourself with the right people.
— Recognize and appreciate the ‘Jonathans’ and ‘Michals’ in your life.
— Be willing to be a source of support for others in their waiting seasons. Do for others what God used others to do for you.
— Trust in God’s sovereign orchestration of relationships for your good.
— Live with an awareness that God is moving pieces around the chessboard of your life!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I embrace this season of waiting as a crucial time for my spiritual growth and preparation.
I trust Your timing completely, knowing that You are using this period to mature me for Your divine purpose.
In the face of opposition and challenges, I stand firm, seeing them as confirmation of the validity of Your promise for my life.
Your grace is my sufficiency, Lord, empowering me not just to survive but to thrive in this waiting period.
I am grateful for the relationships You orchestrate in my life, recognizing them as divine support during this season.
I declare that I am developing patience and perseverance as I wait, becoming the person You designed me to be.
I remain open to Your unexpected sources of help, trusting in Your sovereign orchestration of my circumstances.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME, Father, as I faithfully endure and allow Your grace to transform me in the gap between the promise and the performance!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!????????????????
